


Like He's Just Your Understudy

by ObeyDontStray



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Break Up, High School, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25656814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObeyDontStray/pseuds/ObeyDontStray
Summary: A highschool!Jopper fic inspired by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver's song 'Exile'.Joyce isn't his home anymore, so what is he trying to defend?
Relationships: Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers/Lonnie Byers
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Like He's Just Your Understudy

Jim made his way from the second period, moving down a side hall to reach his locker. He spotted the last thing he wanted to see. The thing he had dreaded seeing all day. Lonnie Byers stood in front of Jim’s shared locker, pressing Joyce’s small body against it. Jim shared his locker with Joyce, and he was getting sick of seeing their little make outs in front of it. Joyce giggled when Lonnie leaned down to kiss her. Jim’s blood boiled. Joyce was his best friend, and Lonnie Byers was not the guy for her. With deep resignation he had realized recently that it was him. He believed that he was the man for her. Didn’t she ever see him standing at her side, following her through thick and thin?

Jim cleared his throat with a loud noise, and Lonnie continued to kiss her and hold her around the waist. “Do you fucking mind?” Jim growled before Lonnie turned around, Joyce peeping around him. “Would you stop hanging around our locker? I’m sick of seeing your stupid face, Byers.” 

Lonnie grinned. “I think you’re jealous.” 

“I think I just hate your stupid face you ignorant piss ant.” Lonnie walked closer to him, standing toe to toe but having to look up at Jim who stood a foot taller. “You think I’m scared of you, Mr. Football? I don’t fight fair, you know that.” He said, hand moving to wrap around the outline of the knife Jim knew he carried in his pocket. “Think I’m scared of that?” Jim spat. “Then you don’t know me very well.”

Joyce pushed herself between the two boys. “Lonnie! Go open your locker. Jim, I’m cleaning up my stuff. I’ll share with Lonnie.” Jim’s brow furrowed. “Okay, whatever you wanna do. Eat lunch with him too, because if I see either of you the rest of the day, I will punch his teeth in.” 

Joyce sighed as Lonnie kissed her and headed off to his locker. It took Joyce five minutes to pack up, with most of their locker being filled with her things. She shoved Jim’s things back into the locker and turned on her heels. “Don’t bother driving me home today. Lonnie will walk me home.” She said with a mean inflection before heading down the hall. 

Jim glanced in his locker, seeing his sparse collection of notebooks and brown paper bag covered notebooks. The ones Joyce had drawn on. Taped inside the door was a picture of them leaning against his car when he first got it. Back when it was new and shiny, and they were younger and fresh faced. Back before he discovered his feelings. When things were easier. 

Jim looked from the photo to catch one look at her dark haired, small statured figure before she rounded the corner, headed for Lonnie’s locker. 

He felt like he was stuck in some dumb teenage movie as he moved to go to the cafeteria, change jingling in his hand. He felt empty as he paid for his food alone. Usually they took turns buying food for each other, but today he had extra change, packing it away in his pocket. Passing through the end of the checkout table, he scanned the cafeteria for her and Lonnie.  
Satisfied with not seeing them, he headed out to the picnic table where he and Joyce usually sat beneath the tree in the courtyard. 

He stopped on a dime when he saw them sitting together at their table. Lonnie was sitting on the table top, butt positioned right over where Jim had carved his and Joyce’s names when they first began eating there. 

Joyce spotted him first, as Lonnie had his back to the door. An angry glare spread across Jim's face and the small, angry part of her saw she achieved what she wanted. She could swear she felt the blackness gather in her belly, watching his face turn stormy. Why was she happy seeing the anger on his face? 

Jim’s knuckles balled, his grip nearly ripping the brown paper lunch bag he held. His icy blue eyes locked with hers and he sneered before he turned and headed out to the parking lot.

“Is he stalking us now?” Lonnie asked as he spotted Jim who was climbing into his car. 

“We used to eat our lunch out here together.” 

“Is he obsessed with you or something?” Lonnie asked. “You guys were like glued to the hip. Now that you’re with me he’s sulking around like a kicked dog. Did he think you were his girl?”

“No, we’re just friends. Were, I guess.”

She had no clue they were anything other than friends. First, second, hundred chances. If Jim had just asked. Made some kind of move. If he had just confessed. Now he didn’t have to, that look in his eyes and that hasty exit, that confessed everything.

Jim left school, skipping the last two classes of the day. He didn’t want to see her big brown eyes anymore. See her hold his hand. Fuck if he had to watch them kiss one more time, he was sure he'd slam Lonnie’s head in a car door. 

Jim cracked open his bottle of Coke on the dashboard and took a swig before using his forearm to wipe away the angry tears rising in his eyes. Was this really even worth crying over? 

God they were always so close. Bodies close. Hands intertwined, arms around waists, sharing a bed when he snuck over at night. Did she not know how he felt? Did she know and not care? Just used him for his comfort and protection? 

Joyce slid down the wall in one of the bathroom stalls, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her forehead there. She had felt such kinship with Jim. She never realized...when did these feelings for her start? Why hadn’t he just told her? Hell, why hadn't he just kissed her? They had so many close, intimate moments but she could have never imagined how they must have felt for him. 

She reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. Inside she looked at the photo, the same one hanging in Jim's locker. 

She already missed his stupid, goofy grin.

Footsteps entered the bathroom and Joyce flushed the toilet to cover her sniffled sob that she couldn't hold in anymore. 

There was the sounds of giggling. "Did you hear? Jimmy Hopper wants to fight Lonnie Byers! Over the Horowitz girl, can you believe it?" It was the voice of Chrissy Carpenter. "I can show Jimmy what's it's like to be with a real girl!" There was another peal of laughter and Joyce sat again, knees drawn up and cried into her jeans.


End file.
